Urban League Society Research Paper

This article is entitled, “The Problem Behind the Problem: Creating Economic Well Being for Young Men of Color,” and was published in the International Journal of Business and Public Administration. It argues that there is a need for groundwork to be established to create and maintain future economic well being for African American men. In creating this groundwork, the author, Dr. Melvinia Turner-King, believes that this foundation starts with the social responsibility of scholars, political leaders and administrators, and so on. King puts her passion for her position in this matter into play with a pilot leadership program she proposed for African American male college students, which asserts ethically and socially responsible solutions designed to fit the current cultural and economic realities of our global environment. The results also reveal the importance of public administrators and educational institutions serving in collaborative leadership enterprises. Essentially, King argues that the results from her study illustrate that the “problem behind the problem” is that successful predecessors are not reaching back and helping undereducated black males to ensure future economic stability.

1-a) Women in African-American clubs in the early 20th century believed their role was to help the black race through the idea of racial upliftment. Uplift is the practice of economic and social self-help, where educated middle class club women taught working class black women how to improve their home life and education. This is achieved through concentrated social services work. Club’s such the National Association for Colored Women (NACW), the Tuskegee Woman’s Club and the Colored Women’s league held lectures that taught young girls virtues temperance and how to run needed community services. Club women such as Mary Church Terrell, Ida B. Wells and Anna J. Cooper called for a “united black womanhood to solve the race’s problem” (Gray White,

The civil rights movement occurred between mid- 1950s to late 1960s to achieve civil rights, equal opportunity in employment, housing, and education, as well a right to vote, and public facilities. In 1909, the NAACP had the most influence to fight for equality for colored people. Another group that believed in fighting for African American rights were the “Black Panthers” as known as the Black Power movement. The Black Panthers were an African American group that fought for African American rights.

effort to support and build the African Americans progress in politics, law and strong business

Dawning the year of 1895, the future of Black America finally rested in the hands of the very people to whom it concerned, the black community. Two popular philosophies were presented, and the argument between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois began. These two advocated for very different means of acquiring equality, Washington promotes the economic survival of the masses while Dubois promoted the superior intelligence of the few. The struggle between representing the masses and isolating the few proved to be the deciding factor when determining which philosophy was capable of supporting the desired future of Black America. A future where the economic foundation of the masses proved to be the key to promoting equality among white and black America.

Two great leaders of the black community in the late 19th and 20th century were W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. However, they sharply disagreed on strategies for black social and economic progress. Their opposing philosophies can be found in much of today's discussions over how to end class and racial injustice, what is the role of black leadership, and what do the 'haves' owe the 'have-nots' in the black community.

The timeframe of 1929 to 1945 is marked by two of America’s greatest crises in history, the Great Depression and World War II. This period of economic and political strife was the CPUSA’s “heyday”, with faith in the current system at an all-time low and susceptible to those suggesting an alternative. The start of the depression is also the beginning of a shift in the CPUSA’s political stance that made it possible for it to be influential. Moving from its sectarian, “pure-class” view of America that dominated the party’s first decade, it will start to bring the “Negro Question” and other black-related issues to attention. The purpose of this investigation is not to necessarily explore how well the CPUSA addressed the betterment of African Americans,

Many blacks holding elective office from over 45 states were invited as delegates to the convention, along with others selected from each state to develop a unified political strategy for blacks from that day forward. They set out to develop a National Black Agenda and the theme was to be “Unity without Uniformity”.

NAACP has been a Catalyst for change for over one hundred years. Founded in 1909 the NAACP is the largest oldest civil rights organization founded by a group of white liberals sign the calling African Americans like; W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrell Taking a huge part and making a great impact in today’s society. Through, education, transportation, housing, employment, voting and criminal justice. Winning numerous court cases and stopping at nothing to produce a change all over America.

The fruit bore from these transcending organizations provided the core leadership and game changers that shaped the twentieth-century black experience. Such greats as W.E.B Du Bose, Booker T. Washington, Ernest E. Just, Carter G. Woodson, James Weldon Johnson, Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, , Ruth Whitehead Whaley, Zora Neale Hurston, Charles Hamilton Houston, Thurgood Marshall, A. Phillip Randolph, Martin Luther King, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Coretta Scott King, Dorothy Height, Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, and Barbara Jordan, and Bobby Rush to name a small few.

We want to see the cooperative concept applied in business and banking. We want…” The excerpt reads further as a long dissertation of specific goals of the organization, which include black participation in government and economy, defiance against profiteers of slums, and the overall shift to a socialist America. In the socialist train of thought, society is invested in the integrity and economic participation of its people, and, therefore, blacks become almost invaluable to America. Here, each individual is seen as vital to the nation, because, if not, then the whole foundation of the socialist philosophy collapses. And so, it is implied in this document that a change for a new system of government in a new America is needed, which greatly contrasts from simply making people aware of a perfect world with guaranteed civil rights.

In “Please Stop Helping Us”, Riley argues that liberal organizations and activities that are supposed to help blacks has actually resulted in harming the black community than making a difference. He also gives a further contribution on race by opening the door to black history beyond the 1960’s in the modern civil rights era.

Early in its fight for equality, the NAACP used the federal courts to challenge disenfranchisement and residential segregation. Job opportunities were the primary focus of the National Urban League, which was established in 1910 (Library of Congress, 2014) So since blacks were treated unfair and extraneously they actually had a chance to keep money in their community. Which was given back to the community so money flow was great.

In the past he says that many of the elite felt their main responsibility was to shield their children from segregation and create an environment full of elite role models that they could look up to as well as giving back to their community. One member says, ‘“As educated professional black women, out most important duty is to serve as role models, mentors, and volunteers in our communities”’(Graham 125). More recently many of the the adult groups feel as though because we live in such an integrated world there is no need to join an adult group that is going to help the cause. Many women feel as though they would rather write a check than give time back into their community. Graham says “For now these women are saying, “Let me wright a check for a thousand dollars instead of asking me to volunteer my time,”’(126, Graham).

The issue necessitating this empirical study I the low representation of African American women in Philadelphia in positions of power and leadership. Within the private and public sector of organizations within city agencies and businesses, there is still little representation of women-owned or led agencies within the City even though special consideration is given to women-led organizations. There are two African